Significant Rise in Male Sterilisation Uptake in Odisha Amid Gender Disparities

Odisha has seen a 45% increase in men opting for vasectomies over three years. Despite the rise, male sterilisation rates remain lower than female tubectomies. Family planning operations totaled 259,822, with 255,470 tubectomies. The state promotes family planning through incentives and awareness programs like World Population Day.

Odisha has witnessed a notable 45% increase in men opting for vasectomies in the past three years, according to Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling. Despite this rise, male sterilisation figures remain significantly lower than female tubectomies, a permanent contraceptive method for women.

In response to a query by BJD MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo, Mahaling shared that 991 men underwent vasectomies in 2021-22, which surged to 1,569 in 2022-23 and 1,792 in 2023-24. In contrast, 82,152 women opted for tubectomies in 2021-22, increasing to 92,915 in 2022-23, before dropping to 80,403 in 2023-24.

Over the three-year period, Odisha conducted 259,822 family planning operations, with 4,352 vasectomies and 255,470 tubectomies. The state has been promoting family planning through various initiatives, including World Population Day on July 11, offering incentives of Rs 2,000 for vasectomies, Rs 1,400 for female sterilisation, and Rs 2,200 for post-delivery sterilisation.

(With inputs from agencies.)